2.

2 Separable Equations

Consider the first Order DE

y f (x , y ) (1)
If equation (1) is nonlinear, we can write it in the form

dy
M (x , y ) N (x , y ) 0 (2)
dx
This form in equation (2) is not unique.

If M is a function of x only and N is a function of y only

then equation (2) becomes

dy
M (x ) N ( y ) 0 (3)
dx
This equation is called separable because it is written in the
form

M (x ) dx N ( y ) dy 0 (4)

1
A separable equation in (4) can be solved by integrating the
functions M and N .

Example1: Solve the Differential equation

x2
y .
1 y 2

Example2: Solve the initial value problem (IVP)

3x 2 4x 2
y , y (0) 1.
2( y 1)

2
H.W. Problems 1-20 Pages 47-48.

Example3 (Q.11, page 48). Solve the IVP

xdx ye x dy 0, y (0) 1

Example4 (Q.20,page 48). Solve the (IVP)

1
y (1 x ) dy sin 1 x dx 0, y (0) 1
2 2 2

3
Homogeneous Equations

dy
If the right side of the DE f ( x , y ) can be expressed as
dx
y
a function of the ratio only, then the equation is said to
x
be homogeneous. Such DE can always be transformed into
separable DE by a change of the dependent variable.

Example5 (Q.30, page 49). Solve the DE

dy y 4x
.
dx x y

4
H.W. Problems 31-38 Pages 50.

Example6 (Q.33, page 50). Solve the DE

dy 4 y 3x
.
dx 2x y

5
Example7 (Q.37, page 50). Solve the DE

dy x 2 3 y 2
.
dx 2xy